Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., said Tuesday that new whistleblower reports and alarming testimony have intensified a House probe into organ procurement organizations, telling Newsmax that lawmakers are uncovering widespread failures in an industry entrusted with safeguarding lifesaving donations.
The House Ways and Means Committee chair told Newsmax's "Rob Schmitt Tonight" that Congress is probing a growing list of failures in the nation's organ procurement system, a push that came the same day lawmakers held a hearing titled "Lives at Stake: Holding Tax-Exempt Organ Procurement Organizations Accountable."
Lawmakers heard testimony that detailed cancerous organs transplanted into patients, organs abandoned or discarded, and attempts to harvest organs from individuals who showed signs of life.
Smith said the issues emerging within the network of organ procurement organizations require strict scrutiny.
"You know, it's absolutely unacceptable. That should never happen," he said.
"There were 48,000 donor recipients last year. We have to make sure that people are safe and certain whenever they either donate their organs or they receive organs.
"And for one thing, they need to make sure that they're dead," Smith said.
He added that "multiple whistleblowers" have approached Congress since the investigation began and that their accounts prompted lawmakers to demand additional records from organ procurement organizations operating in New Jersey, Kentucky, and Florida.
The experiences shared at the hearing reinforced those concerns.
Heather Knuckles told the committee her mother died after receiving an organ later found to be cancerous.
"The donor, who we now know had cancer, was somehow eligible for harvesting, and this does not make sense," she said.
Witness Nycki Martin, a former organ procurement organization employee, said she was dismissed after raising concerns about efforts to secure organs from a patient who showed indications of life.
A federal inquiry later found that over 89 days, the organization had mistakenly initiated the organ donation process in 103 cases.
"What is even more frightening is that the investigation only examined cases in which the patient survived," Martin told lawmakers.
Asked about allegations that some organ procurement organizations misused Medicaid funds — including on "limousine vacations" — Smith replied, "We're finding all kinds of stuff — whether it's Medicare fraud, whether it's making sure that there's not proper scanning of organs, whether it's the fact that we saw one procurement organization that threw away 100 pancreas[es].
"Like, you can't make this up, how they have been so rogue. And that's why we're looking into it is to hold them accountable," he said.
Smith said the transplant system must be trustworthy for the more than 100,000 Americans awaiting organs and the tens of thousands who received them last year, arguing that stronger accountability and clear oversight are needed to restore public confidence.
"We need to make sure that they're protected," he said.
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Even get Jon Voight’s special series and President Trump’s comedy programs and much more!
Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.